by Garry Wills
First published 2006
Garry Wills strips away centuries of interpretation to reveal what the apostle Paul actually wrote and believed. The historian argues that Paul's letters have been misunderstood by modern Christians who impose later theological developments onto his original words. Wills examines Paul's actual Greek text and places his writings within their first-century Jewish and Roman context. He shows how Paul viewed Jesus as the Jewish messiah rather than the founder of a new religion separate from Judaism. The book demonstrates that Paul never intended to create the institutional Christianity that emerged centuries later. Wills reveals a Paul who was deeply rooted in Jewish thought and concerned with bringing gentiles into the covenant with Israel's God. This careful scholarly analysis offers readers a fresh understanding of Christianity's most influential theologian.
Genres: biography, history, religion, christianity, academic, american-history
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: scholarly-analysis
Period: 1st Century, 2006
Paperback · VIKING